ANGKOR WAT 3 DAYS ITINERARY

Angkor Wat 3 days itinerary

Angkor Wat temple complex is the largest religious monument in the world and the most visited attraction in Cambodia. In fact, many people come to Cambodia for one or two days, only to visit these mesmerizing temples and watch the sun rising over the Angkor Wat temple, the one that gives its name to the entire complex.

How long Shall I spend visiting Angkor Wat?

Angkor Wat entrance fees and tickets

What is the best way to visit Angkor Wat?

Angkor Wat 3 days itinerary: day1

Angkor Wat 3 days itinerary: day 2

Angkor Wat 3 days itinerary: day 3

Angkor Wat history, according to inscriptions dates back to the ninth century with King Jayavarman II. Most of the temples were initially built as Hindu temples to be later transformed into Buddhist temples by the end of the twelfth century.

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The complex was declared a World UNESCO heritage site in 1992.

There are around one thousand temples in the Angkor Wat archeological complex you could easily spend a month or longer temple hopping and not getting tired of it, as the temples and the beautiful landscape that nature taking over man´s hand ,has created, is simply captivating.

If you interested in visiting more World UNESCO heritage sites there are plenty of amazing places full of history you might never heard of. Check out some Angkor Wat facts when preparing your trip to Cambodia.

Most of the people cannot spend a very long time visiting the Angkor Wat temples. So the first question that will cross your mind when visiting Angkor Wat will be:

How long Shall I spend visiting Angkor Wat?

The time you want to spend here it all depends on how much time you have and how you like to visit temples.  If you have between one and three days in Siem Reap I would recommend you to choose for a one day Angkor Wat pass. If you have something like a week, as I had, I think the three days Angkor Wat pass is ideal. Just remember Siem Reap has some other very beautiful attractions to visit. And do not forget to chill out and enjoy some time at your hotel pool. Being more relaxed will always make your trip better.

I am proposing here a three day itinerary as I did it.  This is pretty much a very tight schedule. I feel so much in love with these temples that I wanted to see as many as possible. My tuk tuk driver told me; – Tourists usually go back to the hotel early to relax. They do not see so many temples as you do.

Angkor Wat entrance fees and tickets

There are three different kind of Angkor Wat passes you can purchase and the different Angkor Wat entrance feeds are the following;

1-day Angkor Wat pass – US$ 37;

2-day Angkor Wat pass – US$ 62;

3-day Angkor Wat pass – US$  72;

Are you planning to visit india? Check out some incredible Indian architecture by my fellow travel blogger Shalini Baisiwala

What is the best way to visit Angkor Wat?

Angkor Wat is located 6 km from Siem Reap city center and there are four different transportation options you can choose for your visit;

By car

By bicycle

By tuk tuk

By guided tour

Visiting Angkor Wat by car is quite expensive so I would not recommend this option unless you have a big budget or a very limited amount of time.  Driving a bicycle is a nice way to visit the complex but take into account that it is really hot during the day peak hours and if you are visiting during rainy season there is a big chance of rain.  A guided tour is a good option If you are OK with having a fix allocated time to visit each location. I chose myself for getting a tuk tuk driver for the day as I like to take as long as want in each location, going at my own pace.

You can usually book a tuk tuk driver at your hotel reception.  The costs are usually not more than 25 dollars a day. But of course, it all depends on how many hours per day you would like to spend watching temples.

I am writing here down for you my proposed 3 days Angkor Wat itinerary exactly as I did it. This is a very busy schedule as I simply love these temples and I like to spend time observing as many small details as possible. Some of you might want to skip some temples visits and chill out at the hotel for some time. For me it as not an option. My tuk tuk driver told me:- You never get tired, most of the tourists simply go back to the hotel at 15:00 for some time to enjoy the swimming pool.

Tip; If you are visiting the temples solo, bring a tripod with you. There are so many beautiful corners where you would like to have a photo but you will be by yourself and you will regret you could not take that picture of yourself.

Angkor Wat 3 days itinerary: Day 1

Angkor Wat is the temple that give its name to the whole complex and it was built in the first half of the XII century.   “Angor Wat” means city pagoda, what it literally describes what it is.   It was built initially to worship the God Visnu ( due to the temple orientation to the West ) and later in the XII century became a Buddhist temple.

Angkor Wat temple

The temple design it supposed to replicate microcosm of the Hindu universe. The moat symbolized the mythical oceans surrounding the Earth. The concentric galleries most likely represent the mountain ranges that surround Mount Meru and the five towers, the five peaks of Mount Meru.

The temple is around 200 hectareas size and there are several engravings in its walls presenting several historical and religious scenes. It took me around four hours to visit only this temple as it has so many small details to digest.

Start your day watching the sunrise for the photo and then go on the day visiting the different galleries and engravings. Some people might take shorter visiting the temple. But if you really want to admire all the little details take your time. It is really worth the visit.

Prasat Kravan

This temple was not initially in the itinerary that I had planned with my Tuk Tuk driver. As we were passing by it on the way to “Banteai Kdei” he asked if I wanted to stop and I did. It is a very small temple and it will take you only around 15 minutes to visit.

There is a shrine dedicated to the God Visnu and a shrine dedicated to the 5 aspects of the God Shri.

Banteay Kdei

This was one of my favorite temples in Angor Wat.  I even liked it more than the famous Ta Prom temple where the Tom Raider movie was filmed. A local guide told me that a part of the movie was recorded at the back of this temple. I do not know if that information is reliable as I have not found any reference on line about it.

This temple dates back the period of Jayavarman VII and in some aspects is like a smaller version of the Ta Prohm and Preah Khan.

You can either visit the temple from East to West or from West to East. Your tuk tuk will wait for you at the other side.

There are beautiful engravings of apsaras and hindu divinities on the walls, where the stone is presenting very beautiful colors just due to the erosion of the elements.

Ta Prom

The temples is also called “Tom Raider” temple as this is where the movie Tom Raider with Angelina Jolie was recorded.

There are several trees interlaced with the ruins which to the places a magical aspect.

The principal divinity of this temple is “Pranjaparamita”, the perfection of wisdom. This temples was the chosen one to be left in its original stated as when it was discovered.

Ta Keo

A giant temple mountain built as Angkor Wat main temple to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru.

In fact its initial name found on the inscriptions was “ Hema Sringariri “, meaning the “mountain of the golden peaks”.

Angkor Wat 3 days itinerary: Day 2

Bayon

Bayon is the enigmatic temple with “Tower faces”.  The temple has been a Pantheon of the Gods, an Hindu worship place and a Buddhist temple.

The temple originally had 54 towers from which only 37 are standing today.  There are different theories about who the faces represent.  They were initially thought to depict Brahma, later believed to be “Avalokiteshvara”, the bodhisattva of compassion and even some scholars postulate that it is the King Jayavarman VII face.

The different level of the towers gives the impression of the forest of towers. This is one of the more visited temples in the complex. 

Baphuon

The temple is five peaks pyramid but its state makes it difficult to appreciate. Pay attentions to the scenes of fights between warriors and animals.

On the West part of the temple you can find an unfinished reclining Buddha from the sixteenth century. There are several scenes to contemplate here from the “Ramayana” and “Mahabbarata”, including one where Shiva gives Arjuna magic weapons.

Phimeanakas and the Royal palace

Many of the structures in this areas have disappeared nowadays although the Phimeanakas sanctuary still stands up in place.

It was inside the sanctuary of Phinmeanakas where, according to the legend, the Khmer king laid every night with a woman who, as the incarnation of a nine headed Naga, had power over the lands of the kingdom.

Pnimeanakas

Elephant terrace and Leper King terrace

These two terraces were the most crowded place in the whole complex, there were several organized trip buses stopping close to the terrace with lots of people.

But the place is still so worth to see. The elephant terrace is a majestic 300 m walk along elephants carvings. It starts at Baphuon´s terrace to end up at the Leper King terrace.

The Leper King´s terraces owes its name to an old folk legend that tells that one of Angkor´s kings was a leper.

Pre Rup

This is another one of my favourties temples in the complex. Pre Rup means “ turning of the body”. Turning the body of a corpse is a cremation rite and it has been believed that there were cremation pyres in the temple, where there is only the base of an statue.

The temple is also a representation of Mount Meru as many other in the complex.

East Mebon

This is not a temple mountain and it is dedicated to the divinity Rajendresvara.

Ta Som

This is a miniature temple and it seems like a smaller verions of “ Ta Prohm” or “Banteai Kdei”.

Neak Pean

This is a set of five ponds arrange in a cross like shape with a circular island in the middle. This arrangement is thought to represent the Himalayan lake of Anavatapta.

This lake was famous due to its miraculous healing properties.

Preah Khan

Preak Khan appears to have been a Buddhist university as well as a city. There are references to Preah Khan as the “lake of blood” which suggest that the temples was built of the site of a important battle.

Angkor Wat 3 days itinerary:Day 3

The cost for the tuk tuk on this third day was a bit more expensive as these places were 25 km further than the  area visited on the previous days.

Banteay Srei or the Women temple

This temple is located 20 km from the main Angkor temples and around 30 meters from Siem Reap city center, almost at the base of the Kulen mountain.

The name means ” citadel of women” or perhaps ” citadel of beauty”. The name is thought to be due to its and delicate decoration. This was not a royal temple.

Kbal Spean

The Stung Kbal Spean river is one of the tributary rivers to the Siem Reap river, which drains into the Tonle Sap lake.

It is called he “river of 1000 lingas” as there are thousands of lingas inside the river rocks- There is an inscription from the year 1054, in which the place is called the “1000 lingams river”.

Banteay Samre

The temple takes its name of the Samre people in Indochina. It was built using the same type of materials as Banteay Srei.

Tip; Combine it with a visit to the land mine museum. I visited the landmine museum on the way from Kbal Spean to Bantei Samre

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